USCIS updates their estimated processing times each month. To check the processing time for your type of form, go to the USCIS Processing Times website, choose your type of form, and the field office processing your case. You can submit a request about your case when your case is past the date on the highest number of months in the processing times range.
Visa wait times are not only dependent on the procedural processing of paperwork as described above. One of the most important pieces of information in your immigrant visa case is your priority date, which is the date when a visa number will be available for you.
As of , there were 3. This is just people waiting to apply while they are outside of the United States. These numbers do not include anyone applying for a green card inside the United States through adjustment of status. Immediate relatives of U. This is because the U. Other family members, such as married children of U. Each month, the Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin , which lets you see which priority date is up for your visa category each month.
In addition to that, U. Applicants from countries that submit a high volume of applications — such as China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines — have the longest waiting times across all categories. Since , a year after the country quotas were put in place through the Immigration and Nationality Act, visa wait times have grown by four and a half years for Indians and three years and two months, for Mexicans. By , Indians had the longest wait times overall of all countries — eight and a half years, according to statistics compiled by the CATO Institute.
The average waiting time for all categories was almost six years. Wait times become the longest for non-immediate relatives of petitioners. For example, the current wait for Filipino siblings of adult American citizens need to wait an average of 23 years to be eligible for a green card. Children over 21 years of age of U.
Family-based visas and employment-based visas based on preference F and EB visas respectively command the longest waiting times overall. Family-based visas take more than half of the immigrant visas available on any given year at 62 percent.
There is a significant mismatch between the share of available green cards in each line and the share of applicants in each line. Future visa wait times look impossibly grim — in fact, many applicants will die without having the chance to apply for a green card at all. Statistics show that for nationals of some countries, such as Mexican siblings of U. However, there are some situations in which your case could be taking longer than usual. Errors and omissions any of the forms will contribute to longer visa wait times.
Luckily, most of these are easy to fix:. This is highly unlikely, but certainly not impossible. USCIS utilizes contractors to do the data entry.
Before you send your application in, make sure you have copies of everything you sent. If immigration officials lost or misplaced any pieces of your application, you can resubmit documents to your case processing center. Failing to change your address means you could miss important notices, like notices for a biometrics appointment or an in-person interview, which could push your case back or result in a negative decision.
If your case is at a stage of processing where offices other than USCIS are processing your case such as the National Visa Center , you may need to change your address with them as well. Many applications require a biometrics screening. Immigration officials will collect your fingerprints and use them to run a background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI.
If you have anything on your record, like a previous conviction or arrest, your security check will take longer, while the FBI checks your record with local authorities. It is advisable to carry evidence of a residence abroad to which you intend to return for presentation to an immigration inspector at the port of entry. If you leave the U. This could delay your return by many months.
Passport and visa packet delivery is done through SF Express. Return delivery of visas is included in the application fee; no additional payment is required for this service. You should not take medical examination until you received the appointment packet.
Moreover, you should present the appointment letter to the panel physician clinic when conducting medical examination. If you have entered the U. If you are seeking to immigrate on the basis of an offer of employment, you will require a U. An immigrant can become an American citizen through naturalization by living in the United States for a specified period, usually five years three years if married to a citizen and passing a naturalization examination.
There is no requirement that an immigrant become a citizen. Legal permanent residents are free to live in the United States as long as they wish regardless of their citizenship, so long as they abide by the laws of the land, which are applicable to citizens and aliens alike. By law, each immigrant or refugee admitted to the United States must obtain a Social Security number.
Social Security numbers are required to work in the U. You can indicate your desire to obtain a social security number during the immigrant visa interview. Legal Permanent Residents are usually allowed to remain outside the United States for no longer than one year and must maintain a bona fide domicile in the United States. You should be aware, however, that the final determination on your eligibility for admission into the U.
If you are not in possession of a valid re-entry permit and you have been outside the U. A health certificate is required to bring a dog or cat from Hong Kong into the U. Such a certificate is usually required by the airlines and the airlines should be contacted concerning any time limitations or other details. Hong Kong is a rabies-free area, so the pet will not be quarantined and will not need a rabies vaccination unless required by the state or local authorities at your final destination.
There is no limit on the amount of money which may be taken in or out of the United States. Education is compulsory and free for children between the ages of 6 and 16 18 in some states.
Kindergartens are usually available and free of charge. Children will ordinarily be accepted for immediate enrollment in the local school system of the community in which an immigrant family settles. Private schools, both day and boarding, are available in many larger communities and usually charge tuition to enroll.
There are many universities and colleges, some private and some government-supported. Further information may be obtained by writing to the Superintendent of Education of the community in which you intend to reside or from the EducationUSA website. Household effects owned by immigrants for one year or more, as well as personal effects intended for their own use and not containing any prohibited items, such as firearms and drugs, are admitted free of duty.
Only very limited quantities of tobacco, spirits and wines can be taken into the United States duty free. Please see Customs Duty Information for more information. The Final Rule in the Federal Register removing references to HIV from the list of communicable diseases of public health significance went into effect January 4, HIV infection is no longer an inadmissible condition, and HIV testing will no longer be required for medical examinations for visa purposes.
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Who requires an Immigrant Visa? Where can I get assistance with filling out the visa forms? Where can I find information about obtaining police certificates and court records? I recently moved. How do I notify the Consulate of my new address? What should I do?
Immigrant Visa Wait Times On this page: Overview Overview Every immigrant visa case is different, so it is difficult to estimate how long the process will take for a specific individual. Embasy or Consulate Once a petition is approved, if it is in an immediate relative category or has a current priority date, it is largely up to you how long it takes to get an interview appointment.
Time for Case to Become Current For certain categories of immigrants, the law allows only a limited number of visas to be issued each year.
Locations U. The U. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs website and Consular Post websites are the definitive sources of visa information.
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